FORMER Barca star Dani Alves plans to appeal the bombshell four-and-a-half-year sentence he was handed this morning.
The Brazilian defender (40) was found guilty of raping a woman in the toilet of the Sutton nightclub on December 30, 2022.
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Dani Alves appeared in court earlier this month and denied all allegations. Credit: Reuters
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The player’s lawyer, Ines Guardiola, said she would appeal the sentenceCredit: Reuters
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The Brazilian defender was sentenced to four and a half years in prisonCredit: Reuters
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Apart from his two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Sevilla, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao PauloCredit: AFP
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Alves arrived at the court in Barcelona this morningCredit: EPA
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The Brazilian was summoned to court at 10am local timeCredit: EPA
He was ordered to pay the victim £130,000 (€150,000) and to stay away from her for nine and a half years.
“The verdict considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, apart from the prosecutor’s statement, that the rape is considered proven,” the court said in a statement.
Speaking outside the court, Alves’ lawyer Inés Guardiola said they planned to appeal the sentence.
She told reporters: “Four and a half years is much better than the nine and 12 that the prosecution sought, but we will appeal because I still believe in the innocence of Mr. Alves.
“We will review the sentence, but I can tell you that we will appeal.
“We still believe in the innocence of Mr. Alves. He already knows the punishment and is healthy.
– We will defend his innocence to the end.
State prosecutors asked for nine years while lawyers representing Alves’ accuser asked for 12 years.
After the verdict, Alves returned to Brians 2 prison near the Catalan capital.
At a trial held in Barcelona earlier this month, the footballer denied the charges and said the encounter was consensual.
The trial, held at the provincial court of the Audience in Barcelona, lasted three days with the testimony of the alleged victim, witnesses and experts.
The Brazilian defender was accused of raping a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30, 2022.
He previously confirmed that he had sex with the woman in a nightclub toilet, but insisted it was consensual.
Alves has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
In a brief statement, the Barcelona court said on Wednesday that it had “invited all parties to the Alves case, including the defendant, to appear in court for the so-called ‘notification procedure.’
His accuser told the prosecution that she voluntarily entered the bathroom with him, but that he made her stay after she wanted to leave.
She claims that he was aggressive towards her, slapped and insulted her, and then forced her to have sex with him.
During the first day of the football player’s trial, a friend and relative of his accuser claimed that he also groped them in the VIP area.
The two women claim he then invited their friend, the alleged rape victim, to follow him through a special door after flirting with her.
His ex-wife Joana Sanz told the court that Alves “smelled of alcohol” and that he “bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed” after arriving home on the night of the attack.
Dani Alves’ ex-model Joana Sanz appears in court to reveal what the ‘drunk’ ex-Barcelona star said to her moments after the ‘rape’
But she said she did not want to talk to him because of “the state he is in”.
Alves made repeated requests for bail, but all were denied, and judges said his alleged victim’s version of events was coherent and noted that Alves had changed his story several times as the evidence authorities had against him emerged.
In an exclusive interview from his cell at Brians 2 prison near Barcelona last June, he told Spanish TV: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
Apart from twice in Barcelona, Alves played for Sevilla, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
Considered by many to be one of the greatest defenders of all time, he became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
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The defender was found guilty of raping a woman in the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona
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The footballer apologized to his wife Joana after the bombastic claimsCredit: AFP
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His ex-wife told the court he ‘reeked’ of alcohol when he got home that night
Dani Alves case timeline
30 December 2022: A woman claims she was sexually assaulted in the toilets of a Sutton nightclub
1 January 2023: Police in Barcelona are investigating an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub involving Dani Alves
January 5, 2023: Dani Alves’ alleged victim files a formal complaint claiming she was sexually assaulted
CCTV footage shows Alves was alone in a nightclub toilet with his accuser for 47 seconds
January 20, 2023: Alves is remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona
He initially denies ever meeting his accuser, but later confirms they had sex in nightclub toilets – but insists it was consensual
January 31, 2023: His wife Joana Sanz (29) requests a divorce
8 February 2023: Alves appears to be reportedly receiving ‘VIP treatment’ in prison
March 17, 2023: Alves goes on hunger strike after divorcing his wife
November 14, 2023: Football player ordered to stand trial for alleged assault
November 24, 2023: Prosecutors seek nine years in prison and £130,000 to be paid to the alleged victim, if found guilty
February 5, 2024: Alves appears in court in Spain facing twelve years in prison
February 6, 2024: Joana Sanz testified in court about a “drunken” phone call made by her husband after the alleged assault
February 7, 2024: Alves tells a Spanish court that the encounter was consensual
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